Marlene Mercer of Canton South cannot believe the load of fruit on her apple trees this year.

“Usually we just have a wheelbarrow full," said Mercer on Saturday, standing next to her pickup truck, its bed piled with four types of apples. "We picked off of seven trees and have so many, we decided to make some cider with them.”

Instead of juicing the fruit themselves, Mercer took the apples to Mapleton Cider Mill, which opened for the season on Saturday. Mapleton custom presses apples for customers while they wait, turning homegrown or orchard-purchased apples into fresh cider.

Opening day brought a steady flow of customers to the country mill.

“I need some apple juice,” a woman said eagerly as she walked toward Laura Riley, who owns the mill with her husband, Mike.

“Hey, who’s cussin,'" laughed Laura.

Apple juice is much different than apple cider. Cider is the unprocessed liquid from mashed apples, and it is dark brown and cloudy. The beverage is perishable and must be refrigerated. When this liquid is filtered and processed, the result is apple juice, which has a longer shelf life than cider.

Mapleton’s cider is health department regulated, but not pasteurized like the cider sold in supermarkets. Fans say the product has a richer, more pure apple flavor.

“You definitely can taste the difference,” said Booker Redrick of Canton, a regular customer for years.

Pam Emrich of Minerva loves Mapleton’s cider as a beverage and as an ingredient.

“It makes excellent apple butter,” she said, as she picked up a gallon on Saturday. “I cook down my apples and add cider to it. I also use it when I make applesauce, and even make wine with it.”

Laura Riley likes to boil cider down until it gets thick and syrupy, then she whisks in butter until it melts into a silky sauce.

“When it is reduced like that, it’s really good, especially over ham,” she said.

Pressing is on Saturdays by appointment, and Mike Riley suggests customers bring a minimum of five bushels.

“It takes about one bushel to make three gallons of cider, depending on how juicy the apples are,” he said. If you don’t have backyard trees, Riley recommends buying fruit at orchards or farmers’ markets. If you do have homegrown apples, consider supplementing your yield to enhance your cider’s flavor.

“If the apples you have are tart, buy some at an orchard that are sweeter so you have a nice blend,” he said.

Custom pressing is $1 a gallon without a jug, $1.50 with jug included.

Mapleton sells its own cider for $5 a gallon, available on an honor system during daylight hours seven days a week.

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The mill is at 8720 Mapleton St. SE in Osnaburg Township. The phone number is (330) 488-1260.

APPLE CIDER CAKE

1 cup apple cider

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cup sifted flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first four ingredients. Sift flour and soda together. Add to batter. Stir until blended. Bake in greased loaf pan for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Top with apple cider frosting, if desired.

In a 4-cup measure combine apple cider and cinnamon candies. Microwave, uncovered, on high power for 4 to 5 minutes or till candies dissolve and cider is steaming hot, stirring once. Serve in mugs and garnish with apple slices, if desired.